Dad
by Lisa-Sinarae
Summary: After the disastrous Stark Expo incident, Tony happens to encounter a little boy who had just lost his guardians in the drone attack. Unable to leave him, Tony adopts the kid and now he has to face a new challenge of becoming a parent. [MCU Tony Adopts Peter AU Tony Stark/Pepper Potts]
1. Responsibility

**A/N** **: This is the Tony Adopting Peter AU work I mentioned in my one-shot fic. I love this idea and it is my all-time favorite AU for Peter.**

 **I know that I still have** ** _Part of the Team_** **going on, and I am working on it, but I decided to start this fic as well because 1) I just had to get this out of my head as soon as I can, 2) I have so many other ideas that are on my list, and 3) I'm trying to write as much as I can during the summer break before my school term starts in the fall, so I have a set schedule for multiple fics.**

 **In terms of the timeline, I am following the years that the movies were released in instead of the official timeline. So** ** _Iron Man 2_** **happened in 2010,** ** _The Avengers_** **in 2012, and** ** _Iron Man 3_** **in 2013. (Screw the Homecoming's '8 years later' thing ;p)**

 **Oh, and just so you know, any kind of scientific talk/knowledge used in this is strictly based on internet searches and brief research. I haven't studied science since after my freshman year in high school, so I have to look everything up.**

 **Okay, enough of the babbling, and I'll let you get into the actual fic.**

* * *

 **Chapter 01: Responsibility**

The incident at the Stark Expo was indeed a catastrophe. Still, for an event so big and disastrous, it all ended with a rather small number of casualties. There were, of course, civilians that suffered injuries and accidental deaths, but the total number was not significantly big.

Unfortunately, Mr. and Mrs. Parker were among the unlucky ones. May and Ben Parker had brought their 8-year-old nephew Peter, a big fan of Tony Stark and Iron Man, to the Expo. The boy was practically running around with excitement and happiness throughout the whole event, and it was both guardians' great pleasure to see the boy in such big joy. Everything was great. That was, of course, up until the killer robots suddenly flew around attacking people. Being the small boy that he was, Peter was separated from his aunt and uncle in the massive stream of panicking people fleeing from the site. Still, he was too young to fully acknowledge the seriousness of the situation, for he seemed to have thought he could be just like his idol just by wearing a plastic Iron Man mask. He was courageous enough to face one of the big robots alone. If it weren't for Iron Man that showed up that very moment to blast the machine, he would have also have been one of the body counts - which, of course, the boy was unaware of.

While Peter was having his little 'adventure', his guardians were perplexed as they frantically ran around to find their lost boy. They were too distracted by the one thought to find Peter to notice the falling debris from the broken pillar that took their lives instantly.

Of course, these were all small details that Tony did not get to know - at least not until a few days later. After the whole AIM drone fiasco, it took some time to fully clean up the mess, yet the Stark Expo continued on as was originally planned. The location was limited for a while, and the people were rather reluctant to return, but it did not that long for the place to be filled with crowds once again, with different companies and industries offered different treats full of new kinds of technologies and products.

Tony Stark, meanwhile, did not return to his home in Malibu. As he had handed his position as the CEO of the company over to Pepper - and more importantly, as he had got over the whole 'dying' problem - he had more time to really focus on other things. Thus, he stayed in New York to oversee the expo. He also had a tower under construction in the city, so he had enough business to occupy himself with. In addition, in order to mend the public image of himself and the company, he did several charity works.

That was how Tony found himself in a local orphanage.

He was easily surrounded by a pack of people, from little kids to even the caretakers and other staffs of the facility. Tony easily entertained people, joking and playing around with the kids, signing his autographs on various objects, taking pictures, etc. He was truly and literally absent-minded when he casually turned his head when he found a small boy watching on from afar. It seemed Tony was attracting all the attention that nobody was really noticing the kid.

And Tony was never an ordinary person, therefore found the seemingly shy kid just longingly looking at him. The kid must have realized that he was looking at him since he quickly averted his eyes and looked down at the figure in his hands - which happened to be that of Iron Man.

For some reason unknown, Tony could not take his eyes off of the little boy. It was definitely the very first time he had seen him, yet there was just something that grasped Tony's attention and interest. He had not realized that he had been staring at the boy for a while until one of the caretakers began to speak softly.

"Oh, that's Peter," she said. "Peter? Why are you standing there alone, honey? Why don't you come over here and say hello to Mr. Stark?"

Even at the kind voice, Peter just stood still, fidgeting with the Iron Man figure in his hands. In fact, he seemed to flinch and recoil further into himself at the sudden call of his name. Tony heard the caretaker sigh softly beside him.

"He is a bit shy," she said. "He just came here about a week ago, when he…."

The caretaker so openly hesitated. Tony felt a pang of dread in his heart. A week?

"What happened to him?" he asked, already fearing for the answer.

"He already had lost his parents just over 2 or so years ago, and he was living with his aunt and uncle. They were… among the casualties… in the incident last week."

The woman was hesitant about the words, but eventually got them out. And Tony's heart dropped instantly. There was no need to ask what incident she was talking about. The guilt and pain poked at his heart.

What was even more hurting was the amount of sheer admiration and excitement in the little boy's eyes. The moment when his eyes met those of the kid's, he had clearly seemed the glint and an unspoken longing in his eyes, even during the very short moment before the kid hurriedly turned his gaze away as if he had been busted while stealing an extra cookie. If there was one thing that Tony had acquired from the life of constant exposure to crowds, it was the ability to recognize those who truly positively respected him. And this kid was definitely one of them.

"Is there any other kid that came here from the incident?" Tony asked the caretaker quietly.

"He is the only one," she answered. "At least in this facility. But I heard there were not many orphans from that day."

Tony didn't reply as he took in what she just said. After a brief moment, he walked toward the boy. Peter must have noticed it, for he seemed to be trying hard not to look up at the now approaching man and was fidgeting even more. Tony couched down in front of the kid. Peter took a quick glimpse at the man's face but still refused to really look at him.

"Hey, buddy," Tony offered. He tried to sound as casual as possible, although he wasn't quite sure if it was actually doing so. "Peter, is it?"

Peter did not give an answer. He just kept still for a couple of seconds before he finally gave a slow nod.

"I'm Tony." Tony continued. He honestly did not know what else to say. He had never been good with kids in the first place, and the heavy guilt did not help at all. As he was busy trying to come up with words to say, he was not expecting the boy to open his mouth.

"I know," he said. It was barely even a whisper, but Tony had heard it nonetheless. So he decided to shut his mouth and hear the kid out.

"You're Tony Stark," said Peter, in the same quiet, almost inaudible tone. "You're Iron Man."

"That's right," Tony answered. "And that's me you're holding there."

Peter briefly looked at Tony's face before dropping his eyes once again and nodded. Tony couldn't shake the feeling that the kid was constantly checking Tony's mood, as if he might somehow offend or upset the man. That was when it hit hard: Peter reminded Tony of his younger self. The cautious and hesitant demeanor resembled that of his own around his father. The lack of speech and the longing eyes were what Tony had seen in his own reflection after he had lost his own parents. The way the little boy kept checking on other people's emotions and reactions were what he had to develop from the early years of his life for being thrown at cameras all the time. Tony realized right then and there that that was what attracted his attention so much. Little Peter was Tony.

"How do you know me?" Tony asked, barely managing the choking in his throat under control.

Peter once again looked up at his face, seemingly reading it. He then quickly returned his eyes downward without saying anything. The way his fingers kept fidgeting showed that there was obviously something that the boy wanted to say. Tony thought for a brief second whether he should ask again but quickly decided against it, not wanting to press the child. With time, the boy seemed to relax a little.

"I love all the stuff you do," Peter replied. "You fight bad guys and help people."

He played around with the figure. Tony just looked at him and waited for the boy to continue. Peter's fingers adjusted the arm of the small Iron Man several times before moving over to the white circle on its chest.

"And the reactor is so cool. It's like a battery but then it's really strong and self-sustaining," Peter continued with the same hushed tone, but Tony caught every word he was saying. He froze as Peter began to talk about the arc reactor. The boy didn't seem to have noticed it as he went on. "I didn't know a reactor could be that small. The repulsors and the nitinol suit are cool too but I think the reactor is the coolest."

There was a pause as Peter abruptly stopped talking as if he had said something inappropriate. He glimpsed up at Tony with a trace of fear in his eyes and quickly mumbled, "Sorry."

"What for?" Ton asked.

Peter took a moment before answering, "Everyone at my school hates it when I talk about these things. They say I'm weird and annoying."

The tone he spoke in was so calm as if it was just something so normal for Peter.

"Peter," Tony said, unable to hide the shock and seriousness in his voice. "How old are you?"

It took a few seconds before a shy answer returned. "I'm eight."

"And you know what a reactor is?" Tony asked in disbelief. Peter seemed to ponder as if he was unsure how to answer that question.

"It's a kind of a generator, I guess," he replied. "I read in a book that it's about nuclear fission and chain reaction and stuff. I still don't know what it exactly is or how it works and stuff. But I know that it's the nuclear splitting. I read that they're used in power plants for electricity. They generate heat so that they can power the turbines to make electricity. Your small one wouldn't do that, I guess, 'cause then you'd die from the heat."

Great. So the kid was a genius. Another common feature he had with Tony. And to think that he had to grow up in an orphanage or random foster homes that are most likely unable to provide adequate opportunities and education for a bright mind like his, Tony could not help the additional guilt weighing down on his heart that it was as if he could feel the physical pain.

Peter must have seen the speechless face of Tony, as he went silent again.

* * *

The door of the hotel room opened, and Pepper walked in. She took off her suit jacket while heading to the dresser, walking past the couch where Tony was sitting. He was lost in his thoughts, which Pepper seemed to have not noticed. She casually called out to Tony from her position in front of the vanity as she removed her earrings and bracelet.

"The investigation is almost done," she said. "Finally. The safety checks out, and we'll be able to reopen the venue by the end of next week."

When she didn't hear a reply from Tony, Pepper walked out toward the couch area.

"Tony? Are you listening?"

"I want to adopt the kid," Tony blurted out, standing up.

It was definitely not something the CEO expected to hear from her love. One, it was totally out of context and just came out of nowhere. Two, 'Tony' and 'kid' were not something she knew Tony would like to hear in the same sentence. And three, Tony adopting a kid. Really? So it was logical for her to reply with a deep frown on her face and a surprised "What?"

Tony turned around to face the woman.

"I need to adopt the kid."

"Okay, hold on a minute," Pepper said, raising her two hands as if she was physically stopping him. "What are you talking about? What kid?"

Tony looked into her eyes very seriously as he began to explain.

"There's this kid in the orphanage. He lost his family because of the incident at the expo last week - because of me."

Pepper's face softened as she realized what was eating at Tony. Although he was infamous for being arrogant, egotistical, and confident, the one thing that really affected him more than anything was guilt. The strong insecurities he always tried so hard not to show were what formed the man he was and also what pressured him. Those were what Pepper saw beneath the mask of the self-centered image he created and what made her care so much about him.

"Tony," she began quietly. "I see what this is about. I understand that you may feel responsible for the kid, but it was an accident. Sure, you were a jerk and an idiot for the past few months, but really, it was nothing more than an accident."

"That's not the point," Tony cut in.

Pepper shook her head slightly, seemingly trying to talk some sense into him. "I can see that you want to help the kid, and we can. We will. We can create funding programs-"

"No," Tony interrupted, with a violent shake of his head. "You don't understand. I have to- I need to save him."

Pepper stared at the man in front of her. The weight and sincerity in his eyes were real - too real. She gaped at him without being able to say anything.

"I know I'm asking a lot of you. I know I'm not supposed to decide on something big like this without you, but I need to do this. Please."

Pepper opened her mouth to give an answer but closed it as she couldn't find any words to say. It took a few moments of looking into each other's eyes and her biting her lips until she was finally able to form words.

"I… I can see that you like the kid, but it's adoption we're talking about here," she said. "It's complicated. It's not like shopping for a pet or something. It's an actual adoption. A kid. A human life, Tony."

"I know," Tony replied. "And that's why I need to do it. I can't just leave him at some place like that. I cannot have his life ruined in some godforsaken childcare system."

"What is so special about this kid?" Pepper asked, quite frustrated. She was not completely certain if Tony could actually be qualified to be a parent. She loved him, sure, but the type of life he led was by no means suitable for having a kid around.

Tony sighed. "He is bright. He's a fucking genius. He is an eight-year-old that knows what an arc reactor is and how it's supposed to work. There is no way he can grow up to his full potential in some governmental childcare system."

"So you want to take in the kid because he's smart?" Pepper concluded. "If it's his intelligence you're worried about, then there are other ways that we can help him."

"No," Tony cut her off, seemingly frustrated and even a little angry. "It's just that-"

He sat back down on the couch with a sigh. Pepper walked around and sat next to him.

"He reminds me too much of me," Tony finished quietly.

Pepper stilled at the revelation. "Tony…."

Tony sighed briefly before he continued. "He just seemed so lost. I saw that look…. The way he acts…. It was all so familiar. And I can't leave him, Pepper. I can't bear to think that he's going to go through the same thing as I did, feel the same pain - the same void. I want to save him from that.

Pepper was truly at a loss of words once again. She looked away from the billionaire, turning her face forward. She bit her lips as she processed the words.

"Are you absolutely sure about this?" She finally asked.

"I'm sure," Tony answered.

"There's no turning back."

"I know."

Then a moment of silence followed. Pepper looked down at her hands while her brains were busy going through all the legal procedures they needed to go through as well as the necessities of raising a child. Of course, she was not really married to Tony yet, so he would be the only legal guardian for now, but she would have to help along, especially since she was quite sure that she won't be splitting up with Tony for the near future. She sighed softly as she finally made up her mind.

"Alright," she said. "Okay."

There was no answer from Tony. So Pepper continued.

"If you're so sure about this," a pause, "then do it."

Tony looked at Pepper wordlessly. Then he hugged her - or rather, snuggled into her. Pepper just opened her arms and embraced him, and stayed that way for a while. When they finally broke apart, Pepper said with a smile.

"That kid must be really special."

Tony chuckled. "He really was something."

"I want to meet him. The boy who touched the arrogant Tony Stark's heart." Pepper said mischievously.

Tony replied as he glanced forward, looking quite distant.

"I guess he did."

* * *

Getting the paperwork done was the easier part. There was a lot to go through, of course, but it was all just fixed standard procedures. It took nearly two weeks to merely get the basic legal papers done. With Tony having a few strings he could pull with the New York State government, the application part and the evaluation were quite easy. Then came the multiple meetings with the adoption agency, and Tony could easily tell that the interviewers were rather concerned and unwilling to let him adopt anyone. Tony honestly thought that he might not pass the process, but thankfully Pepper had accompanied him to the meetings and managed to persuade them. Also, Tony was quite sincere with the decision and the answers he gave, so it would have been helpful at least a bit.

Considering the special situation Tony was in, and the special connections he had with the government and all, the entire process was significantly shortened. It was a little over a month when all the necessary steps were finally done. All that was left was meeting Peter again to break the news. And Tony had to admit, it was one of the very few nerve-wracking moments in his life. Even after giving a lot of thoughts on the matter, he would never have been able to be truly prepared for what was about to come.

"It's gonna be fine," Pepper said as she sat next to him in the backseat of the moving car. They were currently on their way to the agency, where they would be having their first official visitation with Peter. "You said so yourself, the boy likes you."

It was true. Peter was definitely a fan of his But that did not mean that he would necessarily accept him as a parental figure. That was when Tony began to wonder if he was being too reckless with the decision: he didn't even know if the boy wanted to be adopted by him in the first place.

"If he doesn't want to be adopted, then we don't adopt him," Pepper said. Tony wondered if she secretly had the ability to read his minds or something. "And we'll find another way to help him.

When the car eventually drove into the parking lot of the agency building, Tony's fear grew even more. He and Pepper got out of the car and walked into the building through the back door of it, trying to avoid any and all attention. The last thing Tony wanted was having his adoption (or possibly an attempt at adoption) publicly known and making the child suffer the unwanted attention.

It felt like forever for Tony as he waited in a small meeting room - which looked more like an interrogation room but with just brighter color walls in Tony's opinion. Million of thoughts came and went through Tony's mind as he wondered what he would do if the boy were not happy with the idea. What would his own reaction be if that was the case? All the thoughts popped out of his mind with the sound of the door opening.

Along with the female agent that was in charge of Tony's adoption process came in little Peter, and his eyes widened as he spotted the man sitting in the small uncomfortable chair. Tony took a deep breath before quickly throwing a casual smile at the boy.

"Hey, Peter," he offered. "Good to see you again."

Peter looked up at the agent beside him as if he was silently asking if he was in the right room. The agent smiled and led Peter to sit on the opposite side of the table and face Tony and Pepper. She then sat on the chair next to him. Peter looked rather scared and baffled as he sat down. Tony noticed that Peter's fingers were fidgeting as he kept avoiding making eye contacts with either of the two adults facing him.

Pepper offered a small smile at the boy.

"Hi," she said. "You must be Peter."

Peter turned his eyes toward Pepper and slowly nodded.

"Nice to meet you, Peter." Pepper's voice was sweet and gentle. Peter played with his fingers as he replied with a nervous tone.

"Ni- nice to meet you, too."

He then returned to looking down, just like he did when Tony first saw him in the orphanage.

"Peter," the female agent said. "This is Mr. Stark and Ms. Potts. They asked to adopt you."

At that, he snapped his head upward and looked at Tony and Pepper with wide eyes.

"That's right, buddy," Tony said. "I want to have you as my family."

Peter just gaped at him, his eyes blinking. Tony couldn't help but notice how that was the longest time that the boy looked straight at him without averting his eyes. He waited in silence for Peter to show any kind of reaction. When nothing came from the little boy for quite a while, Pepper leaned forward slightly as she cautiously looking at him.

"Peter?" She said. Peter's gaze moved to Pepper. "You don't have to if you don't like it. We are not forcing it. Tony liked you on the day he met you and wants you to come with us, but we don't want you to do it if you're not happy with it."

Peter blinked as he just stared at her. All three adults in the room waited patiently as the boy took in what he had just heard. When the boy finally opened his mouth, however, was not something any of them expected to hear.

"Why?" he asked in a barely audible voice.

"I'm sorry?" Pepper asked.

"Why do you want me?"

Pepper looked at the female agent, who also met her eyes with a quite surprised and concerned face. She then shared a glance with Tony as well. Peter just kept looking at Pepper.

"Because we want you," Pepper answered, trying to hide the surprise in her voice. "Tony told me how you were such a great boy and he likes you very much. I like you very much, too, and I would be very happy if you were to come with us."

Peter seemed to ponder at her response.

"As she said, Peter, you don't have to do it if you don't want to," the agent said. "We all respect your choice."

Tony's heartbeat began to speed up as he watched the boy silently contemplate on it. He wasn't sure how he should react if Peter refused it. Hell, he wasn't even sure how he should take it if Peter accepted it, either. And the way Peter asked for a reason clearly showed that Peter was not used to openly accept love and affection. Tony couldn't help but question if he could really be a loving parent for the kid. As much as he wanted to take him in, he wasn't really sure how he would be doing it.

"What do you say, honey?" The agent's soft voice broke Tony out of his trance. He returned his attention to the boy in front of him. Peter fidgeted a little, looking nervous.

"Can I really come with you?" Peter asked shyly toward Tony.

"Of course, buddy," answered Tony. "That's why I'm here, isn't it?"

"Do you really want to come with us?" Pepper asked.

Peter nodded slowly. "I don't like the orphanage. They don't like me there."

Pepper's eyes held sympathy. Tony sucked in a breath with relief. It was quite disappointing that it was the fact that he didn't want to return to the orphanage was the reason he agreed, but he willingly agreed nonetheless, and that's what mattered for Tony. He could provide the boy with all the care he needed as he went on.

The meeting that was scheduled that day was supposed to be short, and thus ended shortly after Tony and Pepper received Peter's answer. It turned out that Pepper also felt deep sympathy and the need for caring for the kid during the meeting and was up for the adoption more than when she first agreed to go along.

After a month and 3 more meetings later, the nine-year-old boy named Peter Benjamin Parker officially became Peter Benjamin Parker Stark. Tony insisted that they keep the boy's original surname in his new name, as he wanted the kid to have a choice later if he wanted to keep his original name. He also planned to have the boy use his original surname for the sake of his privacy: he did not want the boy to be swept by the media just for being his son. The one thing he hated the most in his earlier life was the fact that there were cameras and people swarming him just for being a Stark. That was something he definitely did not want for Peter, especially after having such a hard time of losing his guardians and having to adjust to a new life.

Since Tony was living in a hotel rather than an actual home, Peter had to stay at the orphanage two more months before Tony could wrap all the business he had in New York and leave for Malibu. Tony tried to set up a visitation as often as possible, occasionally bringing him to the hotel room he was staying in to spend some time together. Peter always seemed so quiet and nervous, and it did not improve a lot during the three months Tony saw him. He still did not make much eye contact with Tony and was rather shy. But Tony had not improved that much either, for he was still awkward around him, often unable to find the words to say or uncertain what kind of activity they should do. Then again, Peter did slowly begin to talk more, so Tony saw that as a sign of hope. It was a great relief that Pepper was there to help him along. Whenever Tony didn't know what to do, Pepper was there to the rescue, and Tony was sure that she was the biggest factor that helped Peter relax a little more, although not much. By the time the additional two months were up, Peter called them 'Mr. Tony' and 'Ms. Pepper'.

During the two months, Tony had also arranged through JARVIS to set up a room for Peter in his mansion in Malibu. He left all the specific things and details for Peter to choose later, but had the basic furniture to be ready so that he could use right away.

The day Peter was to be picked up finally arrived. Despite wanting to pick him up himself, Tony had Happy to go to the facility to pick the boy up, for he wanted to make everything discreet and out of the media's watch. He headed to the airport instead, where he had a private plane waiting for him and the newest member of his family. Pepper was there as well, but she was to stay in New York a little longer to take care of some company business before she returned to the Western coast.

Tony waited by the stairs toward the door of the plane, until the familiar black car drove through the airfield and stopped in front of him. Happy got out of the driver's seat and opened the car door so that Peter could step out of the car. Happy, having been the driver to bring Peter over to Tony's hotel, was also quite familiar with the boy by now. He was neither highly supportive or against Tony's decision to adopt Peter. Still, he was always quite gentle toward him - maybe not so overly caring, but just soft enough for the kid not to feel so tense.

The boy was holding a backpack tightly with his hands. Pepper smiled at the sight. Then he and Happy walked over toward Tony and Pepper.

"Hi, Peter," she said.

"Hi, Ms. Pepper," replied Peter, ever so timidly.

"You ready?" Tony asked. Peter nodded slowly.

Tony awkwardly offered a hand toward Peter. Peter looked at it and then up at Tony. Then a short moment later, he slowly raised his hand to hold it.

And together, the two of them walked up the stairs and into the plane.

* * *

 **A/N:** **I have to warn you, it's going to be quite a slow process for Tony and Peter to actually form a Father-Son relationship. There would be fluffs but also a lot of angst. Both of them are too insecure with themselves and they're gonna suffer for it.**

 **I'm kinda worried if Tony was too out of his character, but I decided that he needed some really deep emotional reasons to actually have a reason to want to adopt Peter. I'm sorry if you didn't like it... But I thought it was necessary. I'm not really sure about Peter's speech about the reactor either. He is a genius kid, but then I'm not a genius nor very familiar with anything scientific, so if it seems inappropriate for his age/intelligence, I am sorry…**

 **The ending also kinda feels rushed. I had to summarize a lot of things so that I could actually move onto the new life of Peter and Tony. Also, I thought it would be too lengthy and drag on too much if I wrote all the small details out. I might edit that part a bit later on.**

 **I'd love to know what you thought! Feel free to tell me in the comments below :)**

 **Always, thank you for reading my fic(s) and I hope you all have a great day!**

 **Lisa :)**


	2. The Qualities of a Father

**A/N:** **I have to say, I didn't think there would be this much positive reaction to this. I knew this AU is a popular one, but I'm still so surprised that so many people read it.**

 **Thank you all for the great support! There were so many comments and they mean a lot. I'm so glad you guys liked it. You all are amazing people!**

 **I hope you enjoy this chapter, too.**

* * *

 **Chapter 02: The Qualities of a Father**

If there was one thing Tony feared the most, it was his father. Or more accurately, it was everything that was related to the relationship he had with his father. Howard Stark as a person has never been abusive or intimidating toward his son, at least not intentionally or directly. He may never have been an ideal father figure, but he never directly tormented his son or pressure him. In fact, he actually cared very much - which Tony realized a long time after his father's death and would never openly admit - but just did not know how to actually express it in a healthy way.

And Tony always loved his father. He looked up to him. Yet, the affection and love that he always longed for was never returned, much appreciated to the inexpressive nature his father possessed. There was no look of pure compliment or a loving pat on the back, and not even a quality conversation with each other, let alone a warm hug. To him, Howard was always someone so distant and far up in the sky for Tony to reach. He was just never there beside the boy on the same ground level. Young Tony thus ended up wondering and thinking if he just wasn't enough to deserve his father's approval. He always craved for a chance to prove himself so that he can finally impress his father. That strong desire was also the seed for its own shadow - the great fear of failing him.

It didn't matter that he was smarter than his father since the higher intellect did not seem to impress Howard. Damn, he built his first circuit board when he was four. An engine at age six. He was already in the spotlight and was being swept by public attention even before he was 10. He skipped multiple school grades at once and graduated summa cum laude from MIT when he was 17.

But apparently, that wasn't enough. Every time he took something to his father - every time he showed what he had achieved to him - he never got a "good job" or a "well done". Howard always just accepted everything. Of course, he was bombarded with praises and applauds from other people. The public, fellow students, teachers and professors, and all the experts always threw in compliments, whether they meant them or not. To Tony, however, they didn't matter at all. He only needed one word, one comment from a single person, who failed to give him.

So Tony resorted to a different means. Instead of trying to climb up to his father's level, he decided to pull his father down. He tried hard to berate his father and go against him. He felt a bit perverted satisfaction in the way his father's face crumpled. In fact, he felt just as much pain as he enjoyed it. He just tried to convince himself that he was enjoying getting on his father's nerves. Because that was much easier - much easier to get any kind of reaction out of his father. Maybe it was Tony's way of seeking his father's attention, to really ascertain that his father did care. After all, even a negative attention is better than none.

That was by no means something he wanted to pass onto his own kids. That lack of proper father figure, the constant craving for attention and approval, the void that consumed him - he could never have a kid of his own suffer from such things. But then, he wasn't sure if he could be any different. After all, he himself never had the experience of being on the receiving end of a fatherly love. How was he supposed to know how to be a good father?

So he had decided to spare his own kids by not having kids at all. He fooled himself, convinced himself that he was not good with kids whatsoever. Well, it was certainly true that he was by any measure an ideal role model nor a good influence to any and all kids no matter what kind of background they may be from - or so he thought.

Then…. Well, it just happened.

"A kid," Rhodey said with raised eyebrows. "Really?"

When Tony called his friend James Rhodes to tell him about the adoption, this was his initial reaction.

"What's so shocking about me adopting a kid?" Tony retorted rather childishly. Well, he couldn't say that he didn't know the answer to the question and yes, he knew that it was a surprise considering all the things Tony had said about settling down and having kids in the past, but the same shock he saw in people about this was getting old by now. To be honest, such a lack of faith from everyone was quite frustrating.

"Gee, I don't know," replied Rhodey. "Sleeping with different girls every night, there's alcohol everywhere in your house, not to mention that you have terrible life cycle, you're just cooped up in the basement all the time doing god knows what-"

"Okay, I get your point," Tony cut him off, irritated.

"I thought you hated kids," said Rhodey.

"I specifically remember saying I don't do kids," replied Tony.

"And now you do?"

Tony just shrugged. A deep frown of disbelief and suspicion was obvious on Rhodey's face.

"Is this kid secretly yours? As in, not just adopted but biologically yours?"

"No, he's not mine."

"Really? You're not taking him in because he has your genes?"

"No," Tony said, rolling his eyes. "He is not mine."

"So you're really just adopting a kid that you have absolutely no relation to?"

"Yes," Tony sighed. "How many times do I have to say that?"

"Wow," Rhodey said, clearly astonished. "Tony Stark. Adopting a kid."

It was a simple comment. A factual statement. Yet, it just suddenly felt so real for Tony as it sank deeply within his heart, the weight of the situation becoming so real.

"What got into you?" Rhodey asked.

"It just... happened," Tony replied. "I don't know how, it just… it just happened."

Rhodey just looked into the screen.

"Wow," he said. "That kid must be really special."

Tony chuckled, as he remembered what Pepper had said when he first mentioned adopting Peter.

"He just…. He's like me."

"Great," Rhodey replied. "So there's two of you now that I have to put up with?"

"Well, he's quiet. Troubled, more like. So I don't think you have too much to worry about."

Rhodey snorted.

"So, I'm going to be an uncle now, huh?"

"Congratulations," Tony said sarcastically.

"You said it's secret. So who else knows?"

"So far, Pepper, Happy, and you. And I don't intend to expand the circle," Tony replied as he massaged his forehead with one hand.

"Well, I agree that you better keep it quiet for a while," Rhodey said. "Press is going to have a field day when they find out."

"And I won't let that happen," Tony said sternly.

Rhodey smirked.

"You know, for a person who has been so afraid of being a father, you seem to be doing a pretty good job," he said.

"Yeah, well, haven't really started it yet," Tony retorted.

"Well, I think you've already become one," said Rhodey, a hint of sincerity apparent in his tone. "So, when do I get to meet the little guy?"

That was two months ago.

Now Tony was sitting in the back of a car, with the little boy sitting next to him. It was late in the afternoon and they have just landed in the private airfield, on their way to the mansion. Peter was looking out the window, seemingly captivated by the unfamiliar view. His hands were clutching tightly at the backpack he was holding in his laps. It was true that Tony was never good with kids and never had any attraction to them either. But the way Peter held dearly onto the one thing that was relatively familiar to him while he was entranced by the sight outside was adorable, even to Tony's eyes. He briefly thought about trying to have a conversation but decided against it, letting the boy be mesmerized. And Tony really didn't have any idea what to say to the kid.

It didn't take long before they were pulling over from the main road through the gate and toward the big mansion building. Tony glimpsed at the boy and failed to fight the creeping smile on his lips. Peter's mouth had fallen open as his widened eyes took in the image.

"You like it?" Tony asked.

"It's huge," answered Peter.

The car then finally came to a stop right in front of the front door. Happy got out of the driver's seat and walked to Peter's side of the door. Tony opened his door and stepped outside. He looked around just in case to check if any kind of media equipment was nearby. Meanwhile, Happy helped Peter out of the car. The boy shyly thanked the driver and wore the backpack. His eyes were automatically back on the building, clearly not having seen it enough. Tony gave a few seconds before he decided it was time to go inside.

"Peter," he called. The boy snapped his head toward him. Tony reached an arm out, gesturing at him to come over. Peter slowly walked toward the man, but his eyes were fixed on the building until the last moment. Tony gently placed his hand on the boy's back as he escorted him inside.

Once they stepped inside, Peter was even busier as his eyes moved from every bit and corner of the structure in awe. When they came near the living area, a male mechanical voice spoke up.

"Welcome back, sir. Welcome, Mr. Peter."

Peter literally jumped as he quickly looked around at the walls and the ceiling. Tony was quite amused.

"JARVIS," Tony greeted casually. Then he turned to Peter. "That's JARVIS. He's my AI around the house."

Peter whipped his head toward Tony.

"AI?" he asked. "Is he really an AI?"

Tony opened his mouth to give an answer, but changed his mind and looked upward. "Why don't you answer that yourself?"

"I am indeed an Artificial Intelligence system Mr. Stark has created."

Tony could clearly see the wonder filling the boy's eyes.

"What does he do?" Peter asked.

"Pretty much everything," Tony answered. "He's all around the house."

"All around the house?" Peter asked wide-eyed. "Even in the bathroom?"

Tony couldn't fight the chuckle. "Technically he is, but it's not like he is watching you all the time. He is activated when you call for him."

"Oh, okay," Peter answered, slightly blushing for some reason.

"He takes care of everything, so if you need anything - weather, food, movies, whatever - you can ask him whenever wherever you are."

Peter looked at Tony as if he had something he wanted to say. He seemed to be having an inner debate about something.

"Can I ask him something now?" He asked cautiously, before he quickly continued, "I've never seen a real AI before. I've seen them in movies, but I didn't think there was one in real life yet."

Tony was about to answer that he doesn't have to ask permission or everything but stopped himself from actually saying it. Instead, he just shrugged and gestured for him to go ahead. But Peter looked back and forth between Tony and at the ceiling, as if unsure how to do so.

"Just call him," Tony said.

"J- JARVIS?" Peter hesitantly began, looking around at the ceiling.

"Yes, Mr. Peter?" JARVIS answered.

"How long does it take you to process information?"

Tony already knew that Peter was quite different from other kids. He knew that the boy was highly intelligent. Yet, it still amazed him whenever Peter said something so unexpected for kids his age.

JARVIS did not hesitate with his answer.

"It would depend on the type, source, or purpose of the information. The average speed of my calculation is in between the range of 5 to 10 gigabytes per second."

"How big is your data server?"

"I'm afraid I cannot quantify the scale of my server, as I do not have a single specific network server. I am connected to multiple servers at once so that I can retrieve any and all data sir requires."

Peter's mouth fell once again. "Can you access all the information in the world?"

"There is a significant amount of information that is limited from my connection due to its nature and ethical issues."

"Are you connected to the Iron Man suit, too?" Peter asked.

"I am indeed."

Tony stood silently as he watched the interaction going back and forth, intrigued. Peter opened his mouth again as if to say something, but instead of getting the words out, he gasped and covered his mouth with both his hands. He then looked at Tony before dropping his eyes.

"I'm sorry," he said.

Tony raised his eyebrows in question.

"What for?"

"I asked too many questions," he said. Guilt was very present in his voice. Tony bit his lips.

"Peter," he quietly said. "You don't have to feel bad about it. Ask all the questions you want to."

But Peter just shook his head.

"No, it's okay. I'm done."

"Peter," Tony said. "It's alright. Go ahead and ask."

Peter looked at him and then to the ceiling, seemingly wondering what he should do. At that moment, Tony questioned if he had made a mistake. He wanted the boy not to feel too restrained about something so trivial as asking questions. Yet, the comment he had just given could have had just the same effect in forcing the boy to ask the question instead. Just as Tony was about to rephrase his words, Peter beat him to it.

"JARVIS?" he called.

"Yes, Mr. Peter."

"If someone wanted to add a new protocol, do they have to write the entire code in?"

"That would indeed work, but since I am able to communicate through natural language, new addition can be made through direct requesting. However, if the said protocol regards the security system or involves actions that can and should overpower other protocols, the translation process is necessary."

"Oh, okay," Peter replied. "Thank you."

"My pleasure," JARVIS answered, and Tony could swear that the AI sounded gentle.

When JARVIS finished answering, Peter sheepishly turned toward Tony.

"All done?" Tony asked.

Peter nodded.

"Thank you, Mr. Tony."

Tony looked at him, having an inner debate for a short moment if he should say something about the situation. Then again, he didn't want to make the same mistake again, so he dropped the matter. He just held out his hand toward Peter and led him toward the hall on the left, where Peter's new room was located.

"JARVIS is everywhere in the house, so if you need anything - and I mean anything - just ask him, alright?" Tony said casually.

Peter just nodded. His eyes kept casting downward rather than up. Tony felt an impatient concern forming in his heart, but tried hard to suppress it.

All things have their time, right? No need to push the poor kid.

Peter's new bedroom was the first door on the hall. Tony opened the door and waited for Peter to go in first. Peter's eyes were wide as he looked around the big room with a king-sized bed (it probably might have been too big for Peter, but Tony wanted the boy to have a big comfy space for sleep) and a desk with a desktop computer. But his eyes widened even more when he found one of the shelves on a wall where there were -

"My figures!" Peter exclaimed. Tony was quite sure that it was the first time Peter ever showed excitement. He turned to look at Tony with his eyes filled with question and astonishment.

"I got your stuff from the social workers and had them brought over," Tony said as he shrugged. He then leaned on the doorframe. "Thought they were important to you."

It was not a difficult thing for Tony to visit the Parker household and pick up some things. The adoption agent had mentioned how it was difficult for Peter to bring everything to the facility. What he found in what used to be Peter's room were a bunch of toys and mini figurines of various media - Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Star Trek, few Captain America related merchandises, and mostly Star Wars. He had them all packed, along with the Space themed beddings (although they were not quite usable for the different size bed Tony had prepared for the boy) and sent them beforehand, as a little surprise for Peter.

"Thank you, Mr. Tony," Peter said.

"No problem," Tony answered. True to his words, it was not a problem at all. "Do you like your room?"

Peter nodded frantically.

"I also have the bedcovers you had, but they didn't fit for that one," Tony said, gesturing to the king-sized bed covered in plain white beddings. "I'll let you choose new ones, okay?"

Peter blinked at him before nodding.

"Thank you."

Tony offered a quick smile. He straightened himself and clapped his hand once.

"Aren't you hungry? It's been a long flight," he said. "Why don't you put your backpack down and we go grab a bite?"

Peter quickly threw his backpack off and placed it on the floor, right next to his bed. Then he turned around and walked back to Tony, silently indicating that he was ready - and it was just cute and adorable, the way the boy just blinked at him, even to Tony's eyes.

I never knew there would be a day that I'd find a kid adorable, Tony thought to himself.

He placed a hand on Peter's shoulder, giving it a quick pat. Just as they were about to head for the kitchen, JARVIS suddenly spoke up.

"Sir, Colonel Rhodes has arrived."

Before Tony could respond, a familiar voice sounded from the front door.

"Tony?"

Tony turned to Peter. "It looks like we have company."

He headed back toward the couch area, but Peter just stood still and didn't move. Tony realized that the boy wasn't following, so he turned around.

"Come on," he said. "There's someone I want you to meet."

Peter tilted his head sideways questioningly but still walked over to the man. The two of them were at the large area once again. There was a black man walking in.

"Rhodey," Tony called to him.

Rhodey turned his head toward Tony. His eyes then moved to Peter, who was half-hiding behind Tony.

"So that's him," Rhodey stated.

"This is Peter," Tony replied, looking down at the boy. "Peter, this is Rhodey."

"Uncle Rhodey, apparently," Rhodey remarked. Then he walked over and crouched down in front of Peter, slightly looking up at the boy's face.

"Hi," he said. "I'm James Rhodes. But your father here calls me Rhodey, so I guess you can call me that, too."

Father. Your father. That's what Rhodey said. And he was right. Tony was now Peter's father. At least legally. It felt so unreal but at the same time very real when he heard the word so directly.

"Nice to meet you, Peter," Rhodey said, offering a handshake. Peter timidly took it, but the shake he gave was barely noticeable.

"Nice to meet you, too, Mr. Rhodes," the boy answered.

Rhodey gave Tony a quick glimpse, to which Tony silently shrugged. He looked at Peter in the eyes with a gentle yet quite stern smile.

"Alright, I like and admire that you're being polite," he said lightly. "But 'Mr. Rhodes' makes me feel too old. And I want to be your friend, Peter. So I would really like it if you just called me Rhodey."

Alright, Tony had never been so envious of Rhodey, especially never about his social skills. But now he couldn't get rid of the jealousy slowly forming deep down.

When Peter didn't reply, Rhodey added, "If that's too hard, I would prefer Uncle Rhodey, too."

"Okay," Peter's shy voice answered.

"Cool," Rhodey answered, forming his hand into a fist. "Come on, give me a bump."

Peter smiled a little as he timidly clashed his own fist to it. Okay, now Tony was definitely jealous. He had not succeeded in making the boy smile for what, two months? And here was Rhodey, making him less than a minute he met the boy.

"Alright," Tony cut in. "Enough of introductions, we're starving. Peter? What do you want to have?"

As the three of them walked over to the kitchen area and all the way through the dinner (which was pasta made by Rhodey himself), Rhodey managed to open Peter up a little more. The shy demeanor was still there, but he was definitely talking a lot. Tony occasionally piped up, but in overall just quietly let the two go on with their interaction. Rhodey was so good with kids. And Tony was now beginning to question if it was really a good idea to so impulsively adopt Peter. The fact that Rhodey was easily getting the boy to relax was just another proof that Tony was not a good guardian material. He didn't know how to act around the kid. He didn't know how he should approach him. He can provide with material things, sure, but was he really able to be the father that the boy would need?

When Tony's mind came back to the reality, Rhodey and Peter were talking about some Disney movie. Or rather, it was mostly Rhodey listening to Peter talking about what he liked about Treasure Planet.

"I know they can't really have ships like that, but it looked cool," Peter went on. "Even if the artificial gravity was enough to trap the oxygen, the space temperature would be too low for them to survive without proper suits and all, but the ship looked really cool. And they made it look like they were sailing the seas, so I really liked it."

Rhodey's reaction was limited to occasional agreements or short questions to encourage the boy to continue, and Peter was soon talking nonstop about many different things. That was when Tony realized the true character of the boy. Genius he may be, that kid was still a kid. A bright, talkative kid. Curiosity, excitement, enthusiasm. Then there were also innocence, naivety, purity. A genius kid. That is what Peter was. He was a genius, but at the same time, he was a kid. And that side of him was trapped and hidden deep within, locked away behind the shell - the shell that once Tony had.

But how he was to break it, he didn't know. There was never a person, at least not in his early age, that approached him or even tried to break that wall. And now he himself has to be a father, something that was challenging in itself, and a father to a recoiled child.

But how?

"Tony?" Rhodey's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

"What?" Tony asked rather dumbly. "What happened?"

"You look a bit… off," Rhodey replied. When Tony looked to where Peter was sitting at the table, the seat was empty. He hadn't even realized that the boy left the room. Having read Tony's questioning eyes, Rhodey answered.

"Bathroom."

"Oh," Tony said.

"You okay?" Rhodey asked suspiciously.

"Of course," Tony replied, trying to brush off the subtle hint of concern.

Rhodey was about to say something but closed his mouth hurriedly at the sound of light footsteps. But Tony could see that he was clearly not done with it.

Then Peter came back and sat on his chair. He then looked at the two adults, clearly not knowing what he should do next.

"Did you have enough? Do you want some more?" Rhodey asked, indicating to the now empty plate of Peter's.

"No, thank you," Peter said, shaking his head. "I'm full."

"Alright, then," Rhodey said. "I think everyone's done."

Just then, there was a buzz. Rhodey pulled out his phone and looked into it. He then looked at Peter.

"Well, I'd love to talk more with you, Pete, but I'm afraid I have to go," he said.

"Okay," Peter said, nodding. And at that moment, as if he had timed it purposefully, he yawned.

"Looks like somebody's tired," Tony said with a gentle smile. "I think we all are. It was a long trip, after all."

"Okay," Rhodey said with a smile. "Let's call it a night today. We can hang out sometimes."

Peter nodded. "Thank you, Mr. Rhodey."

Rhodey opened his mouth, probably to remind Peter to call him 'Uncle Rhodey' - did he really want to be an uncle that much? - but seemingly decided against it.

"Don't take it personally. He calls me Mr. Tony, too." Tony said casually. Rhodey seemed to accept it. Peter looked a little sheepish.

"Alright, slow steps," Rhodey said with a smile.

"Okay, Pete, why don't you go rest in your room?" Tony offered.

"But I have to help clean up," Peter replied. "I always did with Aunt May."

Then there was another yawn from him, which made both men chuckle.

"Well, it would be really nice if you did, Pete," Rhodey said. "But we don't want you to be exhausted. You can help from tomorrow. Plus, I have to talk to Tony, too."

"Okay," Peter answered, getting off the chair. "Good night, Mr. Rhodey. Good night, Mr. Tony."

"Do you think you can get to your room without help?" Tony asked, to which Peter nodded. "Alright, if you need help, just ask JARVIS."

As the boy was about to leave, Rhodey stopped him, holding a fist.

"Hey, give me another one."

Peter shyly bumped his own to the larger one.

"Nice," Rhodey said. "Good night, Peter."

"Good night, Mr. Rhodey."

The two men kept their eyes on the boy until he was out of their sights. Then when they could not see the boy anymore, a moment of silence followed until Tony abruptly questioned, "Okay, how did you do that?"

"Do what?"

"That was the first time he talked that much," Tony said.

"It's called social skill," Rhodey said in a mocking tone.

"I'm the one that adopted him and he's more relaxed around you," Ton said, even before he could stop himself. "Clearly I suck at this."

"Is that what that was all about?" Rhodey said.

Tony shrugged without any words. That was neither a denial nor a confirmation. Okay, maybe more of a confirmation, but that was something that Tony did not want to admit.

"It's just that," he said, "I'm the one that's supposed to be doing that, aren't I?"

"Don't worry," Rhodey said, his playful smile disappearing a little. "I just had more chances with kids. You didn't. It's something you can develop over time."

"I'm starting to think if this whole thing was a mistake," said Tony. But even before he could finish the whole sentence, Rhodey cut in.

"Hey," Rhodey said as he leaned forward and lowered his voice. "Don't let Peter hear that, in any chance. Ever."

"You know what my dad was like," Tony said, looking directly at his friend's face. "I'm just- I can't have Peter go through the same thing. And I'm not sure if I'll ever be different. I'll never be a good father."

Tony finished his sentence as he averted his eyes. There was a short pause as Rhodey looked at Tony.

"Tony," he began quietly. "The fact that you're aware of it means you're a good father already. A terrible father wouldn't worry about being a bad father to a kid."

"Right," Tony answered hastily. "No need to get all fuzzy and emotional. That's not my thing."

"I'm serious, Tony," Rhodey continued sternly. "You're worrying too much. You just need time. You both do."

Tony couldn't reply with any words, so he just nodded. He was so not good with all these deep emotional conversations. But then he realized that he did feel better now that he had voiced his worries out loud and had someone to listen to them. Of course, it did not mean he would do it again so often.

Rhodey patted him on his shoulder once as he got up from his seat.

"Well, I gotta go," he said. "Unlike someone, I have work tomorrow."

Tony also got up. "And I have to go to school."

He walked Rhodey to the front door. After he had seen his friend off, he turned around and took in the empty living room area. Even with knowing that there was a boy in one of the rooms in this house now, he couldn't help feeling alone. Rhodey's little pep talk might have helped a little, but the burden was too heavy to begin with. Becoming a father seemed just impossible to him.

God, he hoped Rhodey was right.

* * *

 **A/N:** **I just had this idea that Rhodey would be an awesome uncle - because he is just awesome. X)**

 **I think this is the first time I actually delved this much into Tony's emotions and issues with his father. I may have made Tony too expressive about his emotions, and thus making him out of character, so if you felt that way, I'm sorry. I wanted to show how insecure and unsure Tony felt about the whole situation that he couldn't even control what he was saying.**

 **I read all your comments and they are so inspiring and motivating. Don't hesitate to leave your thoughts, comments, or reviews. :)**

 **Thank you all for reading, and I'll see you in the next chapter!**

 **Lisa ;)**


	3. To Become a Family

**A/N: First off, I'm really truly terribly sorry for taking sooooo long for this chapter. Truthfully, it is never my intention to delay so much. My plan was to finish this fic before Endgame came out… It's just that my life gets in the way every time and I have been very busy for the past few months that I wasn't able to get more than 3 to 5 hours of sleep every day. And the constant writer's block doesn't really help, either. (Also I have to admit that I have been quite distracted by other things as well… That's totally my bad.) But then, I saw Far From Home and decided that enough is enough. (Love that movie btw, although I am a little concerned about a few things… which I won't say anything about here)**

 **I never meant to take this long with this story. Really, I've been having a serious problem with this chapter… I just can't get the words out… :\ Seriously, I got so stressed out because I just couldn't move on from certain parts. I mean, I wrote like 10 pages of this chapter than I had to scrap the whole thing and start all over again because the chapter just did not work.**

 **Anyway, the bottom line is that I'm finally back with another chapter, and I really hope you enjoy this (because I'm really worried that it might kinda bore you out with wordy paragraphs :).**

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Chapter 03: To Become a Family

Peter tried his best not to look around at the crowded gym. Just the deafening noise of numerous voices echoing through the place was enough to remind him that he was completely alone. Looking around just to double-check that not a single one among all those people was there to take his picture or clap for him or bring him flowers was not going to help at all.

Of course, it wasn't like he was sad or anything. No, he was not upset in any way. He wasn't supposed to. It was about time that he accepted his situation already.

So, Peter focused on what was in front of him instead. The huge intimidating stage he was going to walk up on to receive his certificate. The teachers busily moving about in preparation. The unending and ever so loud bustling and chatters of the students and their families all around him.

For Peter, the concept of 'family' had become quite distant. One thing that Peter learned in his very short years of life was how a family could be so fragile. One night, his parents went on a business trip and then they were gone from the world completely the next morning. Just one event was enough to take Aunt May and Uncle Ben away.

When Peter learned that his parents were never returning, that he was never going back to his home with them, he was just too young. He indeed was upset that his mom and dad will not be there anymore to take him to the zoo or tell him cool stories about all the scientific discoveries of the history. Yet, he knew no other feelings than just grievance. After all, he was still a kid, no matter how high his intelligence might be.

When Uncle Ben and Aunt May were gone, it was a different story. Maybe it was because they were the ones that Peter spent the most memorable times with. Maybe it was due to the fact that he knew they were the only family he had left. Yet, the biggest difference was that he now knew how to blame - and he blamed himself for it. He knew that it was his fault that they had died. He knew that it was because he had lost them in the crowd. Or more importantly, he knew it was because he asked them to take him to the expo. If it wasn't for him… then Uncle Ben and Aunt May would still be around.

Now he was all alone. He had no family. He was what people called an orphan. Tony Stark may have just out of pity decided to adopt Peter, but that did not mean that Peter could really be Tony Stark's family. Because Tony Stark was definitely not Peter's father. Of course, Peter knew what 'adoption' means and how it works. It meant Tony Stark was now his supposed 'father' on legal papers. Peter now had a new official name of 'Peter Benjamin Parker Stark'. But those were all just covers. There was no way that Peter could call Mr. Tony 'father' or 'dad'. Mr. Tony just felt bad that Peter no longer had a family. He just felt bad that he couldn't save Peter's aunt and uncle. That was all.

And Peter was pretty sure Mr. Tony didn't want a son in the first place, either. He had Peter keep using his old name 'Peter Parker'. He never took him to the zoo or the park like his real dad or Uncle Ben used to. He also kept it a secret that he had adopted Peter.

It wasn't like Peter was disappointed or hurt by it. There was no reason for him to be. Ms. Pepper did explain that it was to protect Peter from the public out there. It was for his own good, so Peter should be grateful. Also, it was simply a wonder that Tony Stark even thought of adopting Peter Parker - a boy who brought nothing but trouble. A weird boy that no one wants to be friends with. Being quiet and shy in nature didn't bring that much help in social skills. But above all the other characteristics, Peter was smart - too intelligent for his age in many ways; not just in knowledge and understanding but also the awareness of what he was supposed to do or say and what not to. Adults called it being very mature. Kids thought he was weird. Whichever it was, it definitely did not earn the boy a good amount of company of others. It just seemed that nobody wanted to do anything with him.

Yet Mr. Tony took him in. And the year that Peter had spent since he was swept up by and moved to Malibu with him had not been bad - no, correction: it was probably the best thing that Peter could ever get and that he most likely didn't deserve. Just how many orphaned kids get a chance to be picked up by one of the richest people in the world and a superhero, too? Peter could easily imagine what his life would have been like if he had stayed at the public facility he was previously sent to. He had seen enough of such things in movies and books like Oliver Twist and such. Instead, he was spared from so many hardships. There was no begging for food, no stealing for survival, and no ragged clothes.

Thus, Peter always stayed grateful for everything the man had provided him with. He taught himself only to appreciate and never complain. He couldn't be a burden when his hero had already given him so much. He did all the homework in time without being told to do so. He never made any mess. He never asked for a new toy or whined about something. All he tried to do was stay quiet - so that he didn't cause any trouble or an unnecessary burden. It was the least he could do and the requirements he should meet.

That is why Peter was not to be disappointed or upset at Mr. Tony and Ms. Pepper for any reason. He wasn't supposed to seek their attention. He wasn't supposed to beg for acknowledgment or compliments. He could not ask them to come to Parents Day at school. He should not wish for a life in which he got to have a family picnic with either of them the way he did with Uncle Ben and Aunt May. He was not to be disappointed that neither of the two could attend his graduation ceremony.

So, as he sat in his seat among the excited body of students in waiting for the ceremony to begin, he decided not to think about it in the first place. Yet, the harder he tried to ignore all the voices, the louder they rang in his ears. He eventually couldn't help taking a peek at the guest section. Camera flashes and waving hands came into his view.

Uncle Ben used to have a camera, too. He used to take it with him whenever he took Peter to the park or anywhere for a fun time. He brought it to the expo, too - he took a number of pictures of Peter with it. Aunt May was there as well, making funny faces to make Peter laugh. Sometimes she joined Peter to be in the pictures with him. Sometimes it was her taking the pictures of Peter and Ben together.

The thought of his former guardians made Peter want to smile but it also made something poke from the inside of his chest. The pain broke Peter out of his sudden overflow of memories. He was back to looking at the parents and families sitting in the bleachers. He could easily imagine Uncle Ben and Aunt May sitting there. They would have been waving at Peter for him to notice. And Peter would have waved back.

Peter shook his head. They were gone - they couldn't be there no matter how hard he wished them to. But.. but what about Mr. Tony? What if he had been there at the ceremony? No. No, that didn't make sense. Peter couldn't possibly expect or wish for Mr. Tony to be there. It didn't matter if he wanted so badly for Mr. Tony to see him go up on stage to receive his honor roll certificate. That he wanted to somehow really have Tony Stark as… as his father was not important. No, he didn't want that. He couldn't. He shouldn't. How dare he wished Mr. Tony to have him as a family? That was just wrong - wrong for Uncle Ben and Aunt May and wrong for Mr. Tony. He could not just forget about his aunt and uncle and even his own parents and say that Tony Stark was his new parent. He could not become that burden to Mr. Tony, who was his hero and his savior.

No. That was just how it was. Nobody was supposed to be there; no Tony Stark and no Uncle Ben and Aunt May. Peter was alone. He was alone in the gym filled with people, just as he was alone in this world. Peter's face, which never had a smile on, fell even deeper as he turned his gaze from the guest crowd to the front. For better or for worse, the principal was walking toward the podium at the center of the stage. She leaned forward to the microphone.

"Good morning and we sincerely welcome all the students and families to the 2011 New Coast Elementary School Graduation Ceremony."

* * *

Tony Stark and tinkering had been best friends for a while. In fact, it would not be an exaggeration in any way to say that the biggest portion of his life was devoted to that specific activity. He didn't need to be consciously aware of his actions, too. It was a second nature that he had developed. It calmed him down whenever he moved his hands to assemble different parts and welded pieces together. This was a means to which he turned to when he wanted to distract himself from troubling thoughts, refresh his moods, organize his thoughts or clear his mind.

It was just what he needed to calm his nerves at the moment. Tony was sitting before a holographic image. The screen was zoomed in to focus on a particular boy, who was sitting still amidst quite a chaotic body of students. Collective chatters and murmurs of the numerous people in the venue created an ambient noise that filled the lab. He had planned a live broadcast in his lab, with Happy recording the whole thing and sending the video in real-time so that Tony could watch it without physically being there. As he waited for the event to begin, Tony couldn't calm the anxiety coursing through his body. It was funny - to think that Tony Stark was nervous to see a kid going through a graduation ceremony. And it wasn't just any kid's graduation. It was his kid. Was it normal for him to be all anxious about it? Did Howard ever felt such a way when Tony was growing up? Seriously, what was he even nervous about, anyway?

Really, he didn't know why he was getting all anxious and uncomfortable. All he could know was that he just had to move his hands and calm himself down (and kill the time, too) before the event began - which was why he had just begun a very random impromptu project out of the blue that he himself could not define the definition or the function of.

Just a few days before then, Tony had been sitting in that exact same seat doing the exact same thing and for the exact same reason. Well, it was more like he needed to clear his head and think his way out of different emotions and thoughts rather than deal with anxiety - or was anxiety actually a part of the thing he needed to sort out? Whatever it was, Tony had turned to tinkering to deal with it, and that was how Pepper found him at the early hours of the day.

"Tony."

Her soft voice came from the doorway. Tony turned to look at her. Pepper was standing by the door in her pajamas. He could easily expect the look of Pepper's look of disapproval if she was to find out that he had spent the entire night in the lab.

"How long have you been here?" She asked.

"What time is it?" Said Tony.

"Almost six," Pepper said. It didn't take that long for her to find out the truth, for the exact look Tony had pictured in his mind appeared on her face as she crossed her arms over her chest and sighed. "You didn't sleep at all, did you?"

There was neither confirmation nor denial about her question, which was enough response for Pepper's suspicion and Tony knew it as well. He averted her eyes and turned his back toward his partner and resumed screwing a bolt on the gadget. There was a rustling of the fabric and soft footsteps behind him. Tony knew that Pepper was now standing right behind him, but he wasn't really intending to stop what he was doing. A long sigh was heard before Pepper called out.

"JARVIS?"

"Yes, Ms. Potts?" The A.I. answered.

"Save whatever is open and shut all the blueprints down," said Pepper. "And all the powers to the lab."

"Disregard that, JARVIS," said Tony before the AI could respond.

"JARVIS, listen to me if you care about Tony's wellbeing," Pepper said sternly.

"Remember who created you," Tony answered. He didn't turn to look at Pepper, but his next words were clearly directed toward her. "I'll be up by breakfast. I need to think."

Not even a second later, Pepper's hands came into view and took the screwdriver away from his hand.

"No," she said. "What you need is to get out of here. JARVIS, power off. Now."

"Saving and shutting down," JARVIS deadpanned. The power in the lab except for the lights went out immediately and the soft whirring of machines quieted down.

Tony threw his arms in the air as he let out an exasperated snort. Yet, he stayed put as Pepper put down the tool on the worktable. She then turned to Tony and pulled him off of his chair.

"This is treachery," Tony pouted as he stood up and looked at her.

"Uh huh," said Pepper, sarcasm clearly showing on her face. She pulled Tony toward the stairs. "Now come on."

The two of them walked upstairs to the ground floor. Pepper led him to the kitchen. Tony automatically headed for the coffee only to be stopped by Pepper blocking his way.

"No, what you need right now is sleep, not caffeine," she said.

"Then why did you bring me here?" Tony whined.

"Because you need to talk."

"I said I need to think."

"Which means you have something going on in your head that should come out rather than stay in."

Tony raised an eyebrow at her.

"Do you really think I can hold a coherent conversation at this time of day without caffeine?"

"You're doing it right now," Pepper responded with a shrug and a quite overly innocent smile.

Tony sighed.

"So what's bothering you so much?" Pepper asked as she put one hand on her waist.

"Right now?" Tony said. "That you're keeping me from my well-deserved coffee."

"Not until you spill whatever you got clogged up there," said Pepper, indicating to Tony's head with her chin.

Tony rolled his eyes tiredly as he seemingly gave up on getting his liquid life. He walked over to the dining table instead and sat down on one of the chairs. Pepper watched the sight.

"Or if you'd rather sleep now, go upstairs and get some," she said.

Tony shook his head as he licked his dry lips. He knew that he wouldn't have been able to get sleep even if he tried. Pepper walked over and sat down next to him.

"So, what's the issue?" She spoke.

What was the issue? Tony repeated the question to himself inwardly. Everything. That was his answer.

There had been something that was plaguing his mind for quite a while already; Peter was graduating. Of course, it wasn't like the fact that Peter was graduating was the problem or anything. The problem was the graduation ceremony - to be more specific, that Tony couldn't attend the ceremony. It wasn't due to Tony regarding it as being meaningless. It wasn't because he had something scheduled on the day. The reason was that he couldn't be there with him. Nobody was supposed to see Peter with Tony - or Pepper, too. Nobody was to know that Peter was now Tony's son. He had no problem with publicly acknowledging that he became a parent; that wasn't the issue. It was just that it was the only way to completely protect the kid from the prying eyes of the public, the swarm of the obnoxious press, the potential risks and dangers he could get in, and the lack of privacy that results from all of those. Tony just had to avoid any and all situations that Peter could be connected to him. And just what would happen if Tony Stark showed up in a public elementary school all of a sudden? The mere presence of him was to attract attention.

Yet, to simply miss the ceremony did not seem right. Sure, elementary school graduation was not usually regarded as a big deal as high school graduation would be. It was just a mark that the kid was growing up and that he would be moving on to a higher level of education. At the same time, it was kind of significant as well in that it was Peter's first graduation in his life. And the boy was going to be all alone in the middle of hundreds of kids that would be swarmed by their families. Was that really a better thing for Peter?

So Tony was having a dilemma of his own in the first place. He eventually decided that the media and press issues would be more direct and long-term trouble if not prevented. When he told Peter that he nor Pepper (who really did have her work schedule on the day) could attend the ceremony, the boy simply gave a quiet "Okay" as a sign of acknowledgment but nothing more. Tony was quite relieved that he seemed to take it rather well. After all, he was a genius kid.

That did not mean that he was not intending to just let it pass. It was quite the opposite, for Tony was trying to come up with a way to make up for it. He thought of giving Peter a gift, something that would truly please him. That was when he realized that he didn't really know what Peter liked or disliked. Peter never really talked about himself or asked for anything that he wanted. He didn't really talk much about what he liked or enjoyed. Well, he did know that the boy loved sci-fi and fantasy genre films and novels, but he didn't want to give him just a few action figures or related toys. No, that was such a boring gift and a downright lazy one.

So Tony's mind was busy thinking about what he could do to celebrate Peter's graduation - right up until the previous day of Pepper's confrontation.

It happened in the evening when he was on his way to find Peter for dinner. He walked by the living room where a certain binder was left open on the coffee table. He recognized it to be Peter's school binder. He stopped himself and was semi-consciously drawn to it.

In his defense, Tony really didn't intend to disregard Peter's privacy or anything. He just got curious about what the boy was learning and how he was doing in school. As a guardian, it was fair and even necessary to a certain extent for him to be invested in what kind of education his child was receiving, right?

Tony flipped through the pages. He was quite impressed to find the boy's organizing skills. Peter had everything divided into sections by the subjects and organized the papers accordingly. Math, science, history, language arts. He skimmed through the quizzes and assignments. It seemed that Peter's intellect was shining, for most of his works had high score marks. Tony felt like smiling - at some point, maybe he did smile.

Then his eyes caught a certain page. It was a piece of notebook paper with Peter's handwriting. It was seemingly one of the short writings he did. Tony had no particular thought in his mind when he casually began reading it.

 _Language Arts Tuesday, March 22nd_

 _Peter Parker_

 _My mom and dad were scientists. They studied animals and their genes and stuffs. They sometimes told me about them. They also told me many stories about all the cool scientists. They were always busy. They went somewhere a lot so I had to stay with uncle Ben and aunt May. But mom bought me cool toys and science kits. I loved them. But they died when I was seven. They died in a plane crash. I lived with uncle Ben and aunt May. They didn't know much about science so they didn't tell me much about scientists and stuffs. But we went to the zoo together. Uncle Ben watched Star Wars and Harry Potter with me. Aunt May and I baked cookies. They also let me go to Star Expo. It was so cool and so much fun. I miss them so much. I miss my mom and dad but I miss uncle Ben and aunt May more. I know I'm not supposed to. I want to miss mom and dad more, too, but I miss uncle Ben and May more._

The topic must have been 'parents' or something related to it. But that was not what was important. What was really important was the content he had just read; the thing that Peter had written.

All of it was new information. Tony was hit hard by the fact that he had simply no idea what Peter's life had been like before he met him. What his real parents were like to the kid. What Peter did with them. How he felt about them.

Apparently, Peter had a nice little family. They may not have had the riches as much as Tony did, but it was not difficult at all to picture a genuinely happy family.

But how was Peter now that he was living with Tony? Had there ever been a smile on his face that was without a doubt genuine? Had there ever been a fun activity that Peter really enjoyed? Had Tony watched any movies with him?

Those were what real family did; what a true father would do with his son. And what has been Tony doing?

Tony was too busy thinking about how he should protect the little boy from the world that he completely neglected the duty of being a real father to him. Or was it due to his fear? The fear of ruining a perfectly innocent and good kid by his tainted hand? The insecurity of a man whose childhood was the opposite of the most ideal one?

There had always been a certain distance between the man and the boy. Peter was shy and quiet while Tony wished not to force him to do anything. He didn't tell Peter to call him 'dad' when the boy was insistent on keep calling him 'Mr. Tony'. He didn't force him to eat his vegetables or do his homework. He just let the kid be - if it was a certain distance that Peter wanted, Tony wasn't going to step to close.

That ended up with him not prying about Peter's personal space in both physical and mental aspects to the point of it being almost a neglect. He never asked anything more than what the boy was willing to offer, and it wasn't very much. He had no idea what Peter was like in school. He didn't know anything about Peter's social life. He didn't know what the kid was thinking or feeling. A father should know those things. Hell, when he thought about it, he himself was frustrated when Howard didn't seem to care about these exact things.

So much for being a father.

No wonder Peter didn't even consider writing about Tony on his paper. He was no dad. He was no parent. He was no guardian. He was no hero.

He was the person who took those away from Peter.

He missed his aunt and uncle. Of course, he missed them - what could Tony expect? It was a perfectly natural reaction from anyone and not just from a nine-year-old kid. He had lost the only family that provided the real home for him. And the cause of it was none other than Tony Stark himself.

The funniest part was that Tony actually thought for a while that he could be one - a father. He genuinely believed that he might, in the slightest chance, deserve a chance. He thought that maybe Peter could come to call him his family. He had conveniently chosen to ignore why he got to meet Peter in the first place. He just let the fact that he was the one that got Peter's guardians killed slip his mind. He had taken away that one specific thing from the boy, and now he wants to play 'the father'? If that was not hypocrisy, what was?

With that mixture of freshly reminded guilt, anxiety, self-loathe, and a good amount of anger at himself, there was no way he was going to get any sleep that night. Hence, he headed to the lab instead and got to the point where he was now stuck in the kitchen with Pepper stubbornly trying to get some answers out of him.

How was he supposed to tell her this? How was he to explain all this?

Thus, Tony just silently rubbed his face with both hands instead. Thankfully, Pepper just patiently waited for him to open his mouth at his own pace. It took him a good minute until he finally began to speak quietly.

"I just came to realize that I know nothing about Peter."

Pepper raised her eyebrows, clearly asking for more elaboration.

"Do you remember him talking about his friends? Ever?" Tony said, turning his head to look at Pepper. "Has he ever talked about what he wanted to do?"

Pepper still remained silent but her mouth fell open a little.

"I don't even know who he hangs out with at school," said Tony. "Fuck, I don't even know if he has any friends there. I don't know if he is getting bullied."

"Tony," Pepper said in a hushed tone. She placed a hand on his arm.

"Yeah, I don't know about kids that much, but I'm pretty sure that other kids in his age wouldn't really stop talking about all sorts of things. What do they do? Hmm? They whine. They ask for money or some weird toys. They pester and annoy the shit out of their parents for something all the time. They complain about how they don't want to go to school. They talk shits about their teachers. That's what parents are to kids."

Tony was practically ranting at this point.

"And," Tony let a hollow humorless laugh. "And here I thought that maybe, just maybe I can be one."

"Tony," said Pepper. "You can. You are. You are his guardian. You are his father."

Tony snapped his head to look at her.

"Am I? Is that what I am?" He said. Then he paused momentarily. "No. I'm the one that killed them. I'm the one that took that particular thing away from him."

Pepper watched him turn away once again.

"Tony."

No reaction came from him.

"Tony. Look at me."

Tony reluctantly met her eyes.

"If you're going to be so stubborn, I'm not gonna deny," said Pepper. "That Expo? Fine, it happened because of you. You pissed Hammer off. You were too busy being an idiot to prevent him from causing all that. There, happy?"

Tony did not say anything.

"But this is the real question. Did you want Peter's family to get caught in the crossfire? Did you want them to die? Did you really wish for anyone who was hurt or passed away to be involved? Or did you build those drones to attack them?"

Again, Tony could not respond.

"What happened to them was unfortunate, yes. But their deaths are on Hammer and Vanko's hands. Not yours."

"No, I had a part in it," Tony said.

Pepper sighed a little before backing away and leaned on the back of her chair.

"What's done is done. We can't reverse it. Do you really think you wallowing in guilt is helpful to Peter?"

Tony bit his lip.

"I wanted to keep him safe," he said. "I wanted to protect him. From the media, the public. But maybe what I really wanted was to protect him from me."

Pepper let out a soft breath.

"I think you're worrying a little too much," she said. "No one is perfect Tony. Even the father of the year is not perfect. What matters is that you really do care for Peter."

Was that really the only thing that mattered? Tony questioned although he did not voice his doubt. Silence followed as he let his mind drift off a little.

"I got him here because I didn't want him to have the kind of life I did," he said finally. "Turns out, that was exactly what he was having."

Pepper's eyes softened.

"Or more like, I was becoming my dad to him."

"Tony."

Pepper leaned forward. She placed her hand on top of his.

"You know, I never thought I would say this," Tony said with a laugh. "But, I think I might understand him a little bit. Just a very little bit."

"Well, I guess Peter is not the only one growing up, is he?" Pepper said with a smile.

Tony raised his brow as if to dismiss her comment. Pepper giggled a little shortly before her smile wavered.

"I thought you were over this, though," Pepper continued. "What brought this on all of a sudden?"

In truth, Tony had never gotten over this particular subject. It was more like he put it aside and pretended that he had dealt with it. The trigger that brought it back to the center of his mind was, of course, Peter's assignment. But he decided that she didn't really have to know that. So he simply shrugged his shoulders.

"I was just thinking of what I should get for Peter," he said. He maintained his voice to stay casual and nonchalant. It was the truth in the first place - albeit partial. "I want to give him something he will actually like. Then I just… realized that I didn't really know anything about the kid. About what he likes."

Pepper nodded.

"Well," she began with a smirk. "It better not be another Iron Man action figure."

"He said he likes Iron Man. He's my fan," he countered. "And no, I'm definitely not getting one of those this time."

"Oh, so you do know what he likes," said Pepper.

Tony opened his mouth with a frown as if to retort but closed it again only a second later without saying anything. Then a thought crossed his mind.

"It's not like I know Peter better than you do or anything, but I think it's safe to say that there are certain things that he likes," said Pepper. "And I think you know that, too."

Tony took a moment to consider the option that had just popped up before giving his reply.

"You know what," he said. Although there was a hint of uncertainty in his voice, he continued. "Maybe I got something."

* * *

Peter held this diploma paper and his honor roll certificate tightly in his hands. He was practically being swept in the midst of the streams of people, unable to choose which way he was heading toward. Just as he was about to reach the door that separated the gym and the hallway, someone put a hand on his shoulder. He turned around to see who it was and was surprised to find a familiar face (that was not of his classmates or school faculty members).

"Hey, kid," Mr. Happy said. He was nearly (or actually) shouting to be heard through the loud noise of hundreds of voices. "Stay close, alright?"

Peter blinked at him before nodding a few times. That was just before he was pushed by other students and almost got apart from the man. He automatically reached out to grab at the fabric of his suit but was stopped at the last moment by his own hesitation and the push from the same group of students.

Then he felt a grab on his arm. Mr. Happy had gotten hold of him. With it, Peter managed to get back to him. Mr. Happy didn't let go of him until they went outside the building and by the car. Peter also quietly gripped the man's jacket. He did so carefully so that Mr. Happy didn't notice (or maybe he did but did not react to it).

It wasn't until they got into the car that they were finally able to get away from the overwhelming crowd. As usual, there were close to no words of conversation shared between the two. Mr. Happy was not a chattery person.

"Congratulations, kid," was the only thing that he said before starting the car.

Peter thanked him in response. Then the very familiar silence filled the inside of the car.

Peter looked out the window and at the sight of the school ground that consisted of students and their families crowding the place. They were busy taking pictures and enjoying the moment. As the car moved, they all began to back away from him. Peter took a final look at the school building as he left it for the final time.

During the not so long trip back to the mansion, Peter wondered why Mr. Happy was inside the gym and not outside the school. He had thought that Mr. Happy was only there to drop him off at the ceremony and take him back afterward. Did he simply get in there to find Peter? Or was he there from an earlier time? Or was he by any chance there throughout the ceremony? Wait, does that mean he saw how Peter almost tripped on the steps when he was getting onto the stage?

Before Peter could come up with theories in an attempt to answer his questions, the car was already entering the basement garage. Once it came to a full stop, Peter got out and found Tony doing something on the worktable in the lab area. Tony turned around and greeted Peter.

"Hey, Pete," he said.

"Hi, Mr. Tony," Peter answered.

Peter walked toward the stairs. As he did, he took a quick look at the robots and equipment filling the room. Even after a year, during which he passed through the same space every day, the magnificent pile of different parts and gadgets captivated Peter.

Tony also stood up from his stool and walked over to Peter. Peter looked at him with an unspoken question written on his face.

"I have something to show you," was Tony's answer.

He took Peter to one of the empty guest rooms. There were originally three guest bedrooms, one of which became Peter's room. Now they stood before another one of those.

The door was closed shut. Tony walked up to it but instead of opening the door himself, he stood still. Peter looked at him with his head tilted a little.

"Well, why don't you open it yourself?" Tony said.

Peter approached the closed door. He then slowly reached his hand to the handle and opened it. The moment the inside of the room met his eye, Peter's jaw dropped.

The room was similar to Peter's bedroom in size but it had very different things in it. What Peter could see was basically a laboratory. There were four tables in total with each of them had different kinds of things on it. Two were placed against one side of the room while the other two were placed on the opposite side of it. One of them had a chemistry set laid out while there were different parts and materials for machinery and robots on another. On the opposite side were a set of a new computer system installed on another table and a relatively empty one that only had pens, pencils, and papers. There was even a small machine that looked a bit like the ones in Tony's lab.

Peter wondered if this was nothing more than a dream. He looked at Tony in shock. The man shrugged and crossed his arms.

"Since you're graduating and moving onto middle school," he said, "I thought you could use your own tinkering room."

Peter blinked before turning his eyes once again to the room.

"I don't want you to get hurt, so there's nothing sharp or pointy in this room. But you still need to be careful," Tony said. "I want you to just try and do whatever you want to in here as long as you don't do something dangerous."

Peter nodded, his eyes slowly moving from one table to another. He was so concentrated on what he was seeing that the nod he gave was more of a semi-conscious action that he did without full awareness.

Just what had Peter done to deserve all this?

Tony couldn't help a laugh at such a wonder-filled expression that Peter was showing on his face. The boy turned to him once again.

"Is it… Is it really for me?" Peter asked in an awe-struck voice.

"I told you already, didn't I?" Tony answered.

Peter still looked unsure.

"Can I really use it?"

"There's no one else to use it other than you," said Tony. "It's yours."

Peter finally closed his mouth. He looked at 'his lab' once again as if to make sure that it was really happening in reality and not in some kind of dream.

"Thank you, Mr. Tony," he said, eyes still lingering on the room.

"No problem, kid," Tony answered. "Oh, and I was wondering if you'd like to see _Star Wars_ together tonight."

Just when it seemed impossible to break Peter out of his marvel at his new gift, the mention of a certain movie instantly attracted attention. Tony made a mental note about how much Peter actually liked the franchise.

" _Star Wars_?" Peter repeated.

"It's been a while since I've seen it," said Tony. "I suddenly felt like rewatching it. What do you say?"

Peter seemingly pondered for a moment before he gave a fervent nod as his answer.

Thus, that evening, Peter and Tony sat on the couch with a bowl of popcorn and ice cream in the living room. The television screen in front of them played _Star Wars: A New Hope._ Tony occasionally glanced at Peter and saw how immersed the boy was in the movie. There were so many different expressions coming and going on his face, which Tony was quite sure that Peter himself wasn't aware of. For the first time since he met Peter, he truly saw that the kid was really a kid.

And for the first time since he met Peter, Tony felt like he was actually doing something for him.

* * *

 **A/N: Honestly, I'm not fully satisfied with this chapter still, and I kind of concluded the final part hastily (It's like five in the morning right now and I stayed up all night writing this..). But I didn't want to delay any more with this, so I just uploaded it. I might rewrite some parts later, though.**

 **Really, Peter is just too smart for his own good… :/ (at least in my headcanon) And I strongly believe that kids are very smart and quick in grasping what is going on around them, no matter how the adults might think.**

 **I'm terribly sorry if I made any mistake about the educational system. I have no experience nor knowledge about the school systems or curriculum in American elementary school (or any school for that matter). I did my best at research not to make the most stupid mistake, but still I wasn't so confident about it.**

 **I feel like I should probably not say that I will be back soon with another chapter…. Every time I said that I ended up disappearing for more than a year. (It's like it's cursed or something… :/) But that doesn't mean that I will be taking a hiatus or anything. I would like you to know that I'm back on track with writing now and in no way discontinuing this story. I love this idea too much to do so.**

 **Always, I love hearing what you have to say about this! Reviews are always welcome. And thank you all so much for reading my fic :)**


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